Franchise Notes

USA TODAY's Hal Bodley reports Bucs Owner Malcolm Glazer's deal to buy the Dodgers "is so complex it's not going to happen anytime soon, if at all." MLB President Bob DuPuy: "The ball is in their court. (The Glazers) were going to provide some information to us which we have not received." Bodley notes that the information is "how the Glazers plan to stay within the complicated guidelines set by the NFL and MLB." The purchase price would be $360-450M, and MLB rules "permit only 40% of that [can] come from borrowed money." DuPuy: "It's a very complicated proposal" (USA TODAY, 8/26).

JAG-GED: In Jacksonville, Bart Hubbuch reports the Jaguars "sounded a warning to their fans yesterday" by announcing Thursday's preseason finale against the Redskins will be blacked out. Also, more than 12,000 tickets remain for the September 14 home opener against the Bills. The team is planning a "Fill The House" sales campaign for the Bills game "in hopes of avoiding the first blackout in team history of a regular-season home opener." None of the team's '03 home games are currently sold out (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 8/26).

NOTES: Former Whalers Managing General Partner Howard Baldwin has purchased the AHL's dormant Louisville franchise "with the hope of returning to the league in Hartford." Baldwin said that "four or five cities he wouldn't name have shown interest in the franchise" (HARTFORD COURANT, 8/26). The Hartford Wolf Pack have played in the AHL since the Whalers' relocation to Raleigh following the '96-97 season (THE DAILY)....In PA, Michael Bullock reported that N.Y.-based consulting firm National Media Group visited Harrisburg, PA, last month on behalf of the NBDL "to discuss expansion plans that might include the city." NBDL President Phil Evans: "We are actively pursuing expansion in the Northeast." While Evans would not disclose the other cities the NBDL is considering, he did say that "all of the potential markets are located in [PA] and [NY]" (Harrisburg PATRIOT-NEWS, 8/24).